Deploy via the dashboard

The fastest way to deploy if you already have the dashboard open.

1. Log in at https://manage.example.com/.

2. From the dashboard, click Deploy App in the top right.

   

3. The deploy wizard opens on a Start chooser with two primary options:

   • Upload docker-compose file: pick a docker-compose.yml from disk.
   • Build it yourself: open the visual builder and add services, ports, env vars, and volumes step by step. You can switch to a raw YAML editor at any time.

   If you just want a quick start or an example to learn from, click Browse templates below the two options to pick a preconfigured app or service template.

   Templates ask you to pick an Access mode before continuing:

   • Quick test (default): SimpleDeploy auto-generates a <slug>.<server-ip>.sslip.io domain and issues a self-signed cert via Caddy’s internal CA. No DNS setup needed. Browsers will warn about the certificate until you install the root cert from the Trust page on your SimpleDeploy server (/trust on the server URL). Best for trying a template in minutes on a homelab, LAN, or VPS without public DNS.
   • Custom domain: You supply a real public domain and point its DNS at the server. TLS is provisioned automatically via Let’s Encrypt. Best for production.
   • Port only: Skips the Caddy proxy entirely. Docker picks a random host port; you reach the app at http://<server>:<port>. Disabled for multi-endpoint templates. Best for SSH-tunnel or LAN-only testing.

   The sslip.io host used by Quick test is stored server-side as public_host. Click Save as default next to the host field to persist it so every future Quick test deploy reuses it.

4. Give the app a name (becomes its slug in URLs and CLI). Lowercase letters, digits, dashes.

5. Click Deploy. SimpleDeploy:

   • Writes the file to /etc/simpledeploy/apps/<name>/docker-compose.yml.
   • Pulls images.
   • Brings the stack up via docker compose.
   • Wires routes into Caddy.

6. The logs panel streams stdout and stderr live as the deploy runs. Watch for image pulls and container starts.

   

7. When the status badge turns running, visit your app’s domain in a new tab.

What the dashboard shows you

Once an app is deployed, its detail page has tabs for:

• Overview: services, status, resource usage at a glance.
• Logs: live stream, follow toggle, per-service filter.
• Metrics: CPU, memory, request rate, latency charts.
• Config: edit the compose file in-browser, redeploy. Use Export to download the current compose YAML.
• Endpoints: domains, TLS status, advanced proxy settings.
• Versions: every deploy attempt with timestamp and result.
• Backups: schedule and history.

Click any chart or screenshot for a zoomed view (image-zoom is enabled site-wide).

When the UI is the wrong tool

Reach for the CLI when:

• Deploying from CI (use an API key).
• Managing many apps at once (apply -d ./apps/).
• You want the compose file kept in git, not edited in a browser.